Fort Simpson (Feb 24/06) - Fort Simpson's next mayor will be a businessman.

When nominations closed on Feb. 17 for the March 6 election, Dennis Nelner, the manager of T.J.'s Grocery, and Duncan Canvin, the owner of Fort Simpson Beverages, were the only people running for the position.

Duncan Canvin: plans on creating a monthly newsletter if elected. Dennis Nelner: would work closely with First Nations if elected. The Candidates Olinto Beaulieu Candance Brown Steve Catto Robert Hanna (I) Dean Harvey Carl Lafferty Ann McKee Eric Menicoche Owen Rowe (I) Bruce Thomas Lynn Wharton (I) Tom Wilson (I) David Wright (I) * (I -- incumbent)

The election was made necessary after the territorial government dissolved council following a dispute with the village's volunteer fire department.

In addition to two running for mayor, 13 candidates are vying for eight councillor positions. They include five members of the disbanded council.

Canvin said he decided to run because it's time to re-establish council and get on with the day-to-day governing of the community, including hiring a new Senior Administrative Officer.

Repairing and building relations between the senior levels of government and the village, and between the village and the ratepayers is also important, said Canvin.

To keep the community informed, he has plans to create a monthly newsletter.

One of Canvin's immediate goals is to meet with the Liidlii Kue First Nations and the Fort Simpson Metis Nation to reach an agreement on the Community Capacity Building Fund.

He also hopes to build on the accomplishments of previous councils by completing the resource development impact group and the village's land use plan.

Canvin, who is also the president of the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce, said balancing the two roles won't be a problem.

Many of the village objectives, including financial management and keeping clients happy, are the same as the Chamber's, he said.

"I'll just try to do the correct job for the majority of the citizens," said Canvin, who has six years of experience on village council.

Dennis Nelner said he decided to run for office because he saw the follies of the past mayor and council and knows there is a better way to do things.

"My approach is let's look at a new deal and a new way of looking at things," said Nelner, who has spent four years on village council. He lost his seat in October after he missed three consecutive meetings without excuse.

A key element of his plan is working closely with the Liidlii Kue First Nation so that everyone in the community benefits. The band has different contacts that the village could utilize, said Nelner.

He said also wants to prepare the village for the Mackenzie Gas Project.

His main goals include preparing for the National Energy Board and Joint Review Panel hearings. Fort Simpson needs a vision of where they want to go and that involves updating a general plan, said Nelner.

Members of the community will be asked for input so everyone will be behind the plan, Nelner said.

He also intends to create a growth strategy for the community to promote the village as a good place to invest. The tax base needs to be increased if the village wants more funds, he said.

Both candidates said they would work hard to rebuild relationships with the volunteer fire department.

Nelner said he wants to locate the root of the problem and find out what equipment members of the fire department believe is needed. Nelner suggested that by working with the band, the village will have access to federal funds that could be used to purchase equipment

"MACA's not the only door to knock on," said Nelner.

Canvin said he would create a council liaison for different organizations, including the fire department, to ensure lines of communication are kept open. The concerns of the fire department will be listened to and the equipment they need will be purchased if it's fiscally responsible, said Canvin.